Travel disruption looks set to continue into a second day after 143 flights due to depart or land in Dublin Airport were cancelled on Friday.
further dozen or more flights scheduled for Saturday have also been cancelled at this point, it has emerged.
The daa confirmed that 69 outbound flights and 74 inbound flights were cancelled on Friday.
Meanwhile, passengers scheduled to travel across the weekend are being advised to check in with their airline before going to Dublin Airport.
It comes as thousands of passengers had their flights cancelled and many more faced hours long delays at the airport on Friday as airlines struggled to de-ice their planes.
Airport operator daa confirmed that airlines are responsible for the de-icing of planes and that the delays had a knock-on effect throughout the day.
“While the runways and taxiways at Dublin Airport have remained open and fully operational for the entire day, some airlines experienced delays to their flight schedules due to difficulties de-icing their aircraft.
“Delays this morning have had a knock-on impact over the course of the day, leading to a significant number of flight cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information,” a spokesperson said.
A status yellow freezing fog warning was issued by Met Éireann on Friday afternoon for the entire country, with visibility greatly reduced until midday on Saturday for affected areas.
Where this freezing fog occurs, visibility will be very poor, making driving conditions “very dangerous”.
Freezing fog is even more hazardous than normal fog as the droplets are supercooled and can form as ice on windscreens.
Temperatures at a number of weather stations did not rise above freezing on Friday, including at Dublin Airport and the Phoenix Park where the maximum recorded was 0.4C. The warmest temperature recorded in Cork in Sherkin Island at 7.2C.
Gerry Murphy of Met Éireann said Ireland is now “really only at the start of a very cold spell” and that people need to be aware of the forecast as conditions may get dangerous.
There is likely to be a “cumulative” effect of several days and nights of sub-zero weather, leading to temperatures getting lower and lower, while hail, sleet and snow is likely to continue to fall on coastal counties in the coming days.
There will be a widespread severe frost into the weekend, with Met Éireann now predicting this cold snap will last all the way through next week.
Snow many accumulate on the ground in the coming days for counties where wintry showers occur as the cumulative effect of “temperatures” reducing all the time make conditions more treacherous.
Temperatures are expected dip to as low as -4C in places overnight going into Saturday.
Meanwhile, the temperature fell to -3C at the airport on Thursday night, while a thick blanket of snow also fell.
Among the passengers affected was John O’Reilly (29) from Clondalkin, south Dublin, who told Independent.ie he and his friends had been due to fly on a 7.20am Ryanair flight from Dublin Airport to Barcelona on Friday morning.
The group arrived at the airport at 4am and quickly went through security.
“We boarded by 7.10am but nothing happened,” Mr O’Reilly said. “Then we were told the plane had an icing issue and it would take an hour. Then the pilot said this every hour for three or four hours, that it was going to be another hour.
“We were on the plane for four hours on the runway. And people were really hungry and thirsty.
“We finally got off the plane at 12.30pm. We’re now running round the airport, trying to get another flight.
“We’re stressed out. We’re due to play in a card game tournament in Barcelona and we missed the first day. And the tickets are €220 each. Four of us are here at Dublin Airport, impacted by this.
“We were going to meet a friend from England over in Barcelona. Now they are over there on their own.”
Despite his experience Mr O’Reilly said he didn’t blame Ryanair staff and felt they were doing their best in a tough situation.
On Friday, Ryanair said: “Due to severe ice overnight, a small number of Ryanair flights from Dublin Airport have been delayed/cancelled this morning.
“Affected customers have been notified and advised of their options. We sincerely apologise to affected customers for these weather-related delays/cancellations which are entirely beyond our control.”
